Avery Arije
Lauren Hassell of Clarksville Christian (TN). *Photos courtesy of Classic In The City.
PICKERINGTON, Ohio – Now in its fifth year, the Classic In The City high school showcase event did not disappoint with teams from across the Midwest and Canada mixing it up. Here’s some takeaways from a the trip to the Buckeye State.
Crestwood is, again, a Canadian program you don’t want to miss this winter. Led by the standout play of sophomore guard Avery Arije, the team dispatched a Westerville South (OH) team that came in 10-3. She finished with a game-high 21 points on just 12 shots, including going 4-7 from beyond the arc. At 6-0 she’s a matchup problem and has a calming presence on the offensive end. The knockout blow came in the second half from another sophomore, Stella Evans, who had about a five minute run where she controlled the entire game, scoring 11 points, including a three buckets behind the arc, a downhill drive with a picture perfect high pick-up to avoid hand help and to cap it off threw a no-look pass on a baseline drive for an assist that had the gym buzzing.
Zoe Coleman of Pickerington Central.Niagara Prep is another Canadian program that started the weekend out with a big win over Clarksville Christian (TN). Neither team shot the ball well but Niagara Prep got eight combined threes from junior Kaylen Sta. Maria and sophomore Lexi Lee.
The host team, Pickerington Central (OH), sprinted out to a 24-6 lead in the first quarter against Mercy (KY) and never looked back. Sophomore Zoe Colman was on point with 22 points on 12 shots including 4 of 7 from long range and chipping in six rebounds and three assists. Junior Blossom Wallace took the lead on the defensive end with four steals and non-stop on-floor communication. London Johnson, Gabby Pliar, Ameera Jenkins, Deyon Smith and Kennady Gordon all showed well in the win as well.
AROUND THE RIM
Crestwood brought two teams across the border and collectively they have the cupboards stocked with front court players for years to come. From the older team keep an eye on Brooke Mcleod of Thornhill, Ontario, and on the Crestwood Blue younger team, make sure you know the name Paige Fourdjour, a 6-5 sophomore who fits the mold of a traditional post. Fourdjour was a dominant force on the glass.
Freshman Kelsey Gruggs of Olentangy Berlin (OH) is off to a great start. She has length in her frame, showed a nice hesi-cross. As she gains experience her game should take off.
Whitney Stafford, a junior guard for Olentangy (OH), had 11 first half points to put her team in control against Peter’s Township (PA). She finished with a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds. She also had three steals and you could count on her to be around any and every loose ball.
Africentric (OH) junior wing Jae’veyonna Brown had a strong outing. Though her squad came up short she finished with 15 points on just 12 shots.
Miami (FL) commit Natalie Wetzel showed her talent and ability. She had a rough shooting day but her mobility and inside-out game you could see clearly why the Hurricanes came calling.
Kings Christian (CAN) junior post Emma Dongelmans stands 6-5 and you can see there’s real rim running ability in the works.
Early morning games are rare in the scholastic high school season. So Unioto (OH) junior Milee Smith must have tapped into her summer travel ball experience for the 9AM game her team had game high 30 points.
Kennedy Stamper of George Rogers Clark (KY) is a familiar face to ProspectsNation.com staff over the last four years. Her playmaking ability keeps the GRC machine rolling, setting up teammates like junior Teigh Yeast who scored a game high 21 on just 11 shots.
Chris Hansen is managing editor of ProspectsNation.com and serves on the McDonald’s All-American and Naismith Trophy selection committees. He was a co-founder of and the national director of scouting for ESPN HoopGurlz from 2005 until 2012 and is the director of the Check Me Out Showcase and ELITE is EARNED events. He can be reached at chris@chrishansenbasketball.com.
